Portable power tools adapted for use in cutting and removing plaster casts have generally included an electrically powered motor connected to a circular saw blade through a motion converting mechanism that converts the rotary motion of the motor to an oscillating rotary motion. The oscillating nature of the circular blade, as is known in the art, permits the blade to readily cut through a plaster cast without damage to underlying skin or tissue. Typically, these tools have also been provided with a hose connection to a vacuum producing source with the inlet end of the hose positioned in or adjacent to the cutting zone of the blade to entrain and remove the debris generated during the cutting operation.
Since the above-described tool is designed for hand-held operation and manipulation, the electric motor adds weight to the tool and the combined hose and electrical connections limit the maneuverability of the tool. Also, the electric motor generally produces heat energy during use which must be dissipated, and the motor must also be protected or otherwise shielded against the debris generated during a cutting operation.